


The Loser Takes It All

by cottonpadenthusiast



Series: The Oneshots [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Black Lake, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Confused Draco Malfoy, Crushes, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Oblivious Harry Potter, Realisations, Triwizard Tournament, awkward teens, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 19:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16604276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cottonpadenthusiast/pseuds/cottonpadenthusiast
Summary: Draco Malfoy is the thing Harry must rescue from the bottom of the lake if he wants to win this second task. There has to be a mistake. Harry Potter won't "sorely miss" Malfoy...





	The Loser Takes It All

**Author's Note:**

> This is just one of a collection of all the drabbles or prompts I post on tumblr. My tumblr is https://cottonpadenthusiast.tumblr.com/ if anyone wants to follow me there to see the drabbles first. I hope you enjoy this!! :)

Harry was having a problem. Well, three problems and none of which he had a solution for. 

Firstly, he was in the Black Lake and his bollox was about to freeze off due to the extremely low temperatures and limited articles of clothing.

Secondly, he only had fifteen minutes left to find  _and_  escape with the thing he would “sorely miss” if he wanted any chance of winning the Second Task.

Thirdly, and the most disturbing of the three, was that  _Draco Malfoy_ seemed to be the thing, or person, he would “sorely miss”.

Harry had tried everything. At first, he had assumed he needed to save Hermione, who was floating in the water a few metres away, but as soon as he even tried to touch her, a merman had almost decapitated him. Then, he had reached for Cho and was again pushed away. Merlin, he had even tried Fleur’s little sister. Harry was pretty sure the merpeople were going to stab him if he made a wrong move again.

Harry swam over to Malfoy. There had to be a mistake. Why would Harry ever miss this bloody prat?

But as he watched Malfoy’s white hair twist in the water, the sun’s rays illuminating it like a halo around his head, Harry’s heart stuttered. The boy looked strangely beautiful under the water and Harry really didn’t know why he was thinking these things and Harry definitely didn’t know why he had thought Draco beautiful before.

The water did strange things to people’s minds.

Harry reached down and reluctantly pulled the rope from Draco’s feet, pulling the blonde into his arms before he floated away. He ignored how Draco’s hair tickled his nose and how his arm fitted perfectly around Draco’s waist, and turned around. The other “hostages” bobbed around in their unconscious state. Harry didn’t want to leave anyone here alone, especially with those bloody merpeople. So he stayed, Draco Malfoy in his arms, and a temperamental heart in his chest, hoping that soon this would be over. He ignored the part of him that hoped it would never end.

 

Harry broke the surface of the water. The cheers were deafening around him, as he gulped in the air, his gills now disappearing. Everyone was safe. Harry had waited under water until he had known all the hostages had been rescued, but it had meant he had come last. He didn’t really care; he had much bigger worries at the moment, like Draco Malfoy finally waking up and staring at Harry like he had seen a ghost.

“Potter?!” The shrill in Malfoy’s voice had Harry wincing.

“Hello, Malfoy.” Harry was not looking forward to having to explain himself to Draco, or the rest of Hogwarts for that matter. He was pretty sure he could already hear Ron fainting in the stands somewhere.

Malfoy gaped, before looking to the water, then back to Harry. “You’re the-I’m-you…I’M THE PERSON YOU WILL SORELY MISS?!”

Harry swallowed, a deep blush spreading up his cheeks. Merlin, this was going to be awkward. “I don’t-”

“WILL HARRY POTTER AND DRACO MALFOY PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY OUT OF THE WATER!” Dumbledore’s voice boomed over the speakers, interrupting Harry.

Harry grabbed Draco’s wrist and pulled him to the wooden structure a few metres away, acutely aware of how Draco’s gaze never moved from his face. Harry didn’t want to think about what would happen now. Now that Harry knew he had feelings for Malfoy. Now that the whole school would tease him for his crush. Now that Draco knew how he truly felt and would never let him live it down. 

Hurt and embarrassment bloomed through Harry as he was pulled out of the water and escorted away. He stole a glance back to the blonde behind him, shivering and wrapped in a towel. The grey eyes met his gaze and Harry’s heart lurched dangerously in his chest. He quickly turned around. Merlin, he was such an idiot.

 

“It’s ok, mate. You don’t need to apologise. I am slightly wondering about your sanity at the moment, but I suppose you can’t help who you like.” Ron patted Harry on the back as they walked to the castle. Despite surfacing last, Harry had won second place for showing “moral fibre”, but he didn’t really care about the Tournament anymore. Not after today. Not after Draco.

Harry smiled weakly. “Tha-”

“But, seriously. You  _like_  that bloody twat. It’s crazy! Have you eaten anything weird recently? Taken any potion?” Ron interrupted, an amused glint in his eyes.

Harry rolled his eyes, grinning despite himself. “Bugger off, Ron. Don’t you think I deserve some sympathy?”

“Nah, mate. You brought this  _all_  on yourself.”

Harry shoved Ron lightly. He really had brought this on himself. How did he not see this coming? If he had realised he liked Malfoy sooner, maybe he could have asked the judges not choose him and not have revealed to the whole school he had a crush on his arch-enemy. Why did he have to be so oblivious?

“Potter!” The voice had Harry stopping in his tracks. His heart sunk and leapt all at once.

Harry spun around slowly to see Malfoy walking towards him. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, preparing himself for whatever onslaught of abuse he was about to receive. Malfoy now had enough material to torment Harry for years and it seemed the torture was about to start now.

Draco stopped a few feet in front, an unreadable expression on his face. Ron sniggered from beside Harry.

“Weasley, go away. I require a private conversation with your friend here,” Draco demanded, folding his arms, his eyes never leaving Harry’s face.

Harry nodded at Ron, signalling for him to go. He really didn’t want his best friend to be here whenever he faced the most humiliating moment of his life.

“Umm…ok, I guess. I’ll see you later, Harry,” Ron mumbled, before walking away.

Harry glanced back to Malfoy. He just needed to get this over and done with. But as Draco continued to stare in silence, Harry began squirming under the heavy gaze. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“Em. Look, Malfoy,” Harry began, finally breaking the silence. “I’m really sorry about everything-well, what happened today. I seriously didn’t know that they would choose you. I didn’t even know it would be a person, nevermind my crush. Wait-”

“Potter.”

“I mean my…I don’t know. Merlin, I’m sorry, Malfoy. You’re probably so embarrassed and-”

“Potter!”

“If you’re worried about what people will say, I’ll talk to McGonagall and tell people there was a mistake or something and-”

“FOR MERLIN’S SAKE, HARRY. JUST SHUT UP!” Draco roared, voice full of exasperation.

Harry swallowed his sentence, shuffling awkwardly on his feet.

Draco stepped forward. “You don’t need to apologise about what happened. I know you didn’t know.”

“Oh.”

“And I don’t really tend to care what other people think.”

Harry gulped, averting his gaze. “Right. Well, that’s good.” 

Draco studied Harry for a moment, before rolling his eyes.

“You don’t need to look so scared, Potter. If I had wanted to make fun of you, I would have by now.”

Harry knew his fear had nothing to do with Draco’s taunts. He believed  _that_  would be a welcome change from their awkward conversation now, because this was only leading one place for Harry. Heartbreak. He was terrified of Draco’s pitying look and regretful tone when he told Harry he didn’t feel the same, that he just didn’t see him in that way. Nothing could prepare Harry for that. 

“Why haven’t you? Made fun of me, I mean,” Harry asked curiously, finally looking up.

A rose blush suddenly crept up Draco’s neck as he averted his gaze. “Because I can’t make fun of you, when I feel the same way.”

“What?!”

Draco’s blush deepened, but his gaze was defiant. “Have you gone deaf, Potter?”

“But I don’t understand…”

“I  _like_  you, Potter. I’ve had a crush on you for ages.”

Harry stared at Draco. A part of him wondered whether Draco was lying, trying to hurt him in the cruellest way possible, but the earnest way Draco was looking at him right now told Harry otherwise.

“I didn’t think…” Harry murmured, moving forward slightly and revelling in the way Malfoy seemed flustered under his gaze.

“Well, of course, you didn’t think. You never do, Potter,” Draco retorted, eyes snapping from Harry’s eyes to the ground.

Harry reached out for Draco’s hand, holding it gently in his own. It was softer than Harry had imagined.

“Would you like to - I mean only if you want to - go to Hogsmeade next weekend? With me? On a date?” Harry tried to hide how his heart was hammering dangerously in his chest, but Draco must have seen the nervousness because a slow, affectionate smile grew on his face. Somehow, Harry’s heart seemed to beat even more loudly at this.

“Of course, Harry. I would love to.”

Harry grinned, a happiness brighter than any Lumos, any sun filling his chest. 

Maybe losing the Triwizard Tournament wasn’t so bad after all. 


End file.
